Monday, July 27, 2015

Nothing's Wrong

I have just fallen off a whirlwind of activity. Finishing end of the year school responsibilities, preparing for next year and setting up workshops and conferences to attend, travelling and spending good time with friends all contribute to my ‘busyness’.

In the last two months I have journeyed to 9 different cities in the United States and Canada. I attended my High School Reunion in Ft. Lauderdale Florida (graduation 1972). And rode horses in the red rock hills of Sedona with my grand daughter, Stella. I dipped into L.A. California for lunch with my son and daughter-in-law and escorted my 8 year old grand son back to Gabriola for a week of visiting with myself and Sabba. I spent two days visiting with and reading books to my mother in Connecticut. I watched our (ridiculously strong) daughter, Jacquie compete in The CrossFit Regionals in Tacoma, Washington while sharing a ‘catch up’ weekend with old friends in the area. I have luxuriated in the Hot Springs of Northern B.C. with close friends from my childhood, and while there, we stayed on an old newly renovated boat complete with a collection of kayaks, canoes and row boats all available for our use. The owner, a wild, loving and generous gourmet chef who loves gathering groups of people together and serving, prepared our meals!

Paul and I have had at least 25 days of visitors in the past 2 months. We move ourselves into the tent to give our guests the experience of sleeping in our yurt. We’ve been loving the numerous reconnections with old friends and family!

The last two glorious weekends we’ve been involved with Music festivals (Vancouver and Duncan) where music, exciting people, good food and gorgeous sunny days prevailed.

When I reflect on my life as an observer, I am awestruck. My life looks so richso fullso exciting! So, how come I’m not feeling the joy? Why, when someone asks me “Was it fun?” I can’t answer truthfully, “Yes”?  I’m just not having fun. What’s going on here? The fact of the matter is. there’s nothing wrong!

Alfie Kohn, a prominent educator once expressed a wonderful concept that taught me something important about long-term learning. Alfie said, “Too much, too fast, don’t last.” He was describing the need to slow down when we teach and allow for, and even facilitate the learning to occur. Input of information can be varied and exciting and interesting, and, if we forget to incorporate the process of reflection, so much of that stimulus becomes lost.

From my Yoga practise I have come to appreciate the ultimate need for Savasana. Savasana is the Sanskrit work for “corpse pose”. It’s practised by lying flat on my back with as much of my body making contact with my mat as possible. My shoulders touch the ground, making sure that my heart remains open. Here I am totally relaxed with my arms slightly away from my sides and the backs of my hands on the ground. My palms open up towards the sky. My legs, also relaxed, open slightly.

Most importantly, Savasana is an opportunity to ground myself, gather together the energy around me, including that energy I have used, and bring it within. I begin my practise in Savasana and end it there too with many opportunities to settle into the pose after asana flow. It’s a time to integrate the postures and allow myself to settle them within to better become a part of who I am.  If I just flowed through my practise, I would miss the chance to allow my body to embrace the moves and make sense of the postures.

My life is full. It is rich and exciting. Some times it can get a bit overwhelming. I want to enjoy every moment and be intentional about taking the time to do just that. Being quiet, allowing for time to absorb, and being in and with each moment as much as I can is essential. I always want my heart to remain open. There is nothing wrong. I just have to make the space to remember that!








There is nothing wrong.
I have strength and love inside.
Time to discover